Wow, it's been a while!

Lots have been going on since I last signed on.  I've started a new home business called "Duke and Nellie" Custom Jewelry.  I know, I know, everyone is making jewelry but I do custom logos as well as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, lanyards, key chains, backpack charms, etc.  I've just started and I'm excited by all the possibilities!  Check out my Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/dukeandnellie and check out my designs and message me to order anything you see that may appeal to you.

10 days and counting

Well, Christmas is close, 10 days away.  My little one is out of school for the holidays tomorrow and my older son is done with his semester at Art school.  My husband is away is Asia so it's just me, my little one and the dogs.  Yes, I said dogs.  We adopted another dog from our local shelter last week, we're still trying the potty training thing, he's doing pretty good.  If I could just keep him away from the cats upstairs, he loves to jump the gates dividing the upstairs and downstairs.  He's got Border Collie in him so he's great at jumping over things!  He and Trixie, our golden, love to fight and she won't leave him alone.  She's just a year old so she has boundless energy.

I still need to get my Christmas cards started, don't know why I've left it to the last, I usually have them done the first of the month.  They may be just a little late this year!

End of November

Well, tomorrow is the last day of November and I'm finally done decorating all my trees.  I decorate 6 trees in various themes: Santa, Religious, Polka Dots-Red and Apple Green, Blue, Star Wars (for my son, of course) and a Naval Academy tree for my husband!  I'll post pictures when I have some good ones.

Had another birthday, it's just another day but our neighbors brought over flowers and a yummy chocolate cake to celebrate (my husband was out-of-town) and her daughter let me borrow her tiara for my special day!  Queen for a day!

Now to start Christmas shopping.  Just found out my husband won't be home for Christmas and with a seven year old, that's gonna be hard to get him to wait until Daddy gets home to open presents.  We'll see how that works.  Only one of my older children will be here for Christmas and the other won't be here until after New Years.  I miss her, wish she'd move here but has a boyfriend in South Texas and they don't want to move.  Her little brother sure misses having her around....as do I.

Thanksgiving Eve

It's the day before Thanksgiving and the Christmas decorating has begun!  I put up 6 decorated trees so it takes a little bit of time to put everything up.  I'll post pictures later.

My husband got a clean bill of health after his surgery so he will be going back to work on Thanksgiving Day, such is the life of a airline pilot!  Thank your pilot if you're flying on the actual holiday day, he's not with his family so you can be with yours. 

We'll be spending the holidays with our neighbors, they've adopted me as family and we are so thankful!  My two older kids aren't going to be here so I'm kinda sad about that but we had our family Thanksgiving dinner last night before my older son left today.  My daughter in Texas, will be spending the holiday with her boyfriends family.

The holidays for me are bittersweet.  My parents and my three brothers are deceased and the holidays remind me of my losses and times we use to spend together.  I miss having the big family gatherings....

Well, I hope the holidays are good for everyone.

Whew what a day....

Today, I again was taught a lesson.  Your life can change in an instant or the blink of an eye.  My daughter called me from Texas to let me know that her boyfriend nearly died of carbon monoxide poisoning at her apartment.  She was working late and when she got home she found him unconscious on the floor.  She called 911 and began waking up her neighbors to make sure they were ok and knew about the danger.  It was 2AM and most of the other tenants were asleep.  Had it not been for her quick thinking, there would have been 5 dead people instead of 5 people recovering.  If  she had not had to work, she would have been asleep and would probably have died.  Thank you God for sparing her life, her boyfriends and those people she woke up.  She truly is a hero!  I salute her.

Then this evening, my little Cub Scout won 1st place in a Dad and Lad Cake Baking Contest.  He and his Dad worked very hard on a cake and won! 

Such pride in my children (and husband) for different reasons, I am indeed a very blessed Mother and Wife.....

Long Days

Well, the last few days have been very busy and quite long, or so it seemed!  Wednesday, my husband had out-patient surgery so all that day was spent running back and forth and waiting.  In the Pre-Op room, waiting room, post-op room.  Lots of waiting but it all turned out good, he's doing well, and I can't be more thankful.

Thursday, we did a few things but not too much to tire him out. 

Friday, was a day spent at our Church's Misletoe Marketplace, I see Scentsy products and we'll be there on Saturday too.  I sell this with my best friend!

I do have much to be thankful for and am!  Much to look forward too....

A Fall Day

What a beautiful day today, the fall colors are beautiful, some are at their peak some not.  Who cares?  Just the sight of nature's glory is awe inspiring!  In the 70's today and it couldn't be more perfect.  Can you tell I'm a fall lover?  Here in Tennessee, we have the best of everything, enough season's to satify everyone but not too much to make it overbearing.

Hating the daylight savings time, it get darks WAY to early, shouldn't this be done away with?  It's only going to get darker earlier as time goes on, we need light in the evenings.  My son gets out of school at 4 so there's not much time for him to play after school.

We're expecting rain tomorrow so not much enjoying tomorrow, then colder but should get better later in the week. 

Only a few weeks until my birthday!  Wow, getting up there.  How come when you're the age you thought your parents were old, you don't feel old?

That's it for now,

Later.